Heritage Cases

THIS IS THE ARCHIVE FOR SAHRIS 1.0


THIS SITE IS NOW AN ARCHIVE AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR MAKING APPLICATIONS

Please be aware that no content and application creation or changes to information on this version of SAHRIS will be retained.

To make applications or utilise SAHRIS for the creation of information, please use the new site:

https://sahris.org.za

Changes to SAHRIS!

The South African Heritage Resources Information System (SAHRIS) has undergone a generational upgrade and restructure. These changes to the site include, but are not limited to:

  • A new & modernised look and layout
  • Improved site usage flows with respect to applications and content creation
  • Improved site performance and stability

Launch for the new version of SAHRIS occurred on Monday the 30th of October 2023.

The new site can be found here:

SAHRIS | SAHRIS

SAHRA Application Closure

Please note the following concerning applications submitted to the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) during the December 2023 to January 2024 period.

The full notice is available here: Notice

Special Notice

Following comments received on the proposed Revised Schedule of Fees for applications made to the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), made in terms of Section 25(2)(l) of the National Heritage Resources Act No. 25 of 1999 (NHRA) and published in the Government Gazette of 22 July 2022, SAHRA hereby publishes the final Revised Schedule of Fees for Applications made to SAHRA. Applications for provision of services submitted to the South African Heritage Resources Authority (SAHRA), in terms of the National Heritage Resources Act, No. 25 of 1999 (NHRA) must be accompanied by a payment of the appropriate fee, taking effect from 1 January 2023

Revised Schedule of Fees for Applications made to the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA)

Temporary Export of Lithic Artefacts from Witberg 1

CaseViews

CaseHeader

HeritageAuthority(s): 

Case Type: 

ProposalDescription: 

Archaeological excavations of Witberg 1 have identified a high-density MSA horizon within a diatom rich calcrete quarry. Our preliminary OSL ages of the sterile geologic horizons above and below the artefact bearing layers indicate a Middle Stone Age occupation, however the majority of the lithic artefacts have not yet been analysed due to travel restrictions and lockdowns. Witberg 1 is located on the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Northern Cape.

Expanded_Motivation: 

Archaeological excavations of Witberg 1 located on the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in the Northern Cape have identified a high-density MSA horizon within a diatom rich calcrete quarry. This permit is requested to analyse the MSA artefacts through technological and use-wear analysis at the University of Queensland. The artefacts are currently hosted at UCT, but unavailable for analysis due to lockdowns and travel restrictions out of Australia. Tswalu was visited in August 2017 and contains a stratified Stone Age occupation in a calcrete pan called Witberg 1, which Beaumont and Bednarik (2015) described as ESA. Witberg 1 is a 5m deep chalky calcrete quarry currently being used as a materials dump near the Tswalu workshop. Three excavation seasons have been completed - in July 2018, January 2019, and July 2019. However only the densest Lot excavated from the July 2018 field season has been analyzed (Lot 20, n=328). This permit is requested to complete the lithic analysis of the remaining excavated materials (all lithic artefacts), including techno-typological attributes, use-wear and residue traceology, and 3D scanning. The artefacts from Witberg will contribute data towards answering the question of how changing environments impacted early modern human behaviors and evolution in southern Africa.

ApplicationDate: 

Friday, July 23, 2021 - 03:45

CaseID: 

16861

OtherReferences: 

ReferenceList: 

CitationReferenceType
Beaumont, P., Bednarik, R., 2015. Concerning a cupule sequence on the edge of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. Rock Art Res. 32, 163-177.
Wilkins, J., Schoville, B. J., Pickering, R., Gliganic, L., Collins, B., Brown, K. S., et al. (2021). Innovative Homo sapiens behaviours 105,000 years ago in a wetter Kalahari. Nature, 592(7853), 248-252.
Wilkins, J., Brown, K. S., Oestmo, S., Pereira, T., Ranhorn, K., Schoville, B. J., et al. (2017). Lithic technological responses to Late Pleistocene glacial cycling at Pinnacle Point Site 5-6, South Africa. PloS one.
 
 

Search form